I. Paul’s Previous Description Of The Law (A Review)
A. Some Of What The Law Does
1. The Law Reveals Sin-Romans 3:20
2. The Law Condemns The Sinner- Romans 3:19
3. The Law Defines Sin As Transgression-Romans 4:15; Romans 5:13
4. The Law Brings Wrath-Romans 4:15
5. As Law Is Added, More Is Defined As Sin-Romans 5:20
B. How The Law Doesn’t Help
1. God’s Righteousness Is Revealed Apart From The Law-Romans 3:21a
2. Sinners Are Justified By Faith, Not By Keeping The Law-Romans 3:27
3. God’s Promise To Abraham Was Not By The Law-Romans 4:13
C. Paul’s Conclusion About The Law
1. The Christian’s Former Relationship To The Law Has Ended-Romans 6:14,15; 7:4, 6
2. The language used by Paul shows that justification by the law (by works) is incompatible with the Gospel message, which says that justification is by faith.
3. This idea would have infuriated the Jew, who prided himself in having the law and obeying the law. Legalists believe that they are justified by obeying the Law.
Psalm 19:7-11
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
II. Reactions To Paul’s Teaching
A. Legalists
1. Legalists believe that they can achieve right relationship with God thru keeping the law.
a. They believe that they can be justified (forgiven and accepted) by keeping the law.
b. They believe that they can be sanctified by keeping the law. (made more holy)
2. They deceive themselves on both counts.
3. They also seek to insist that others share their view, and are quick to judge those whom they deem as failures. They are often harsh, unforgiving, and do not walk in grace.
4. When they fail, they deal with their guilt through denying it, excusing it, or blaming others in order to make themselves look better.
5. These are people who would have said that Paul was preaching lawlessness: that the law has no purpose in the Christian’s life.
6. There is an element of pride within them, for they believe that they have the ability to both save themselves and improve themselves through their performance.
B. Antinomians
1. Law- nomos. Anti- opposed to. Antinomians are those who are opposed to the law.
2. They would take the aforementioned anti-law statements of Paul, and proclaim that Christians are completely dismissed from having any involvement with the law.
3. Antinomians claim that we are connected to God only through grace, and that the Christian doesn’t need to concern himself with obeying the law of God.
4. They claim that the only commandment that is important is the commandment to love one another. Other than that, anything goes; there are no laws regarding morality.
5. Antinomians end up living an “anything goes” lifestyle, using grace as an excuse to sin, and wrongly understanding what it means to live under grace.
C. Those Under Grace
1. David Guzik- The law does not justify us; it does not make us right with God. The law does not sanctify us; it does not take us deeper with God or make us more holy.
2. In these two ways, the Christian has been released from the law, in that we don’t try to attain justification or sanctification by obeying it. It doesn’t save or make one holy.
3. That being so, the Christian is not completely divorced from the Law.
a. The Christian is not free from their moral obligation to the Law.
b. The moral law is still a revelation of God’s will which the Christian is expected to fulfill, by the inspiration, conviction, and power of the Holy Spirit
c. See Romans 8:3, 4; Romans 13:8-10
III. Making The Shift Romans 7:6
We have been delivered from the law. We died to the law. We were held back by the law.
The Christian can serve God in the newness of the Spirit, not in the oldness of the letter.
The law did not equip us to serve God. The Holy Spirit equips the Christian to serve God.
The Holy Spirit gives us a pure desire to serve God.
The person who lives under the law, serves God because for fear of being punished.
Life in the Spirit motivates us by love and thanksgiving.
Philippians 2:12, 13 12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
The law shows you how you ought to live, but doesn’t empower you to do so.
Life in the spirit empowers you to serve God with a newness of life.
Our freedom from living under the law doesn’t happen so that we can stop serving God, but so that we can serve Him better.
Galatians 5:16-18 16I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Any morality from the Law of Moses which a Christian happens to obey, they do so indirectly because of obeying the Law of Christ directly (loving God and others).
Our focus for moral obedience should be on the Law of Christ – not on the Law of Moses. We are in a better covenant (Hebrews.7:22), we are Gentiles not raised under the Law (Romans 2:12; 1 Corinthians.9:21), but have the work of the Law (conscience) written on our hearts (Romans.2:15).